Common charcoal briquettes used for charbroiling are slow to ignite and, once ignited, come to full combustion temperatures very slowly. A one-ounce pillow-shaped charcoal briquette produces only about 25 watts per square inch of grate area covered by the briquette, which is far less than that required to char the surface of a steak if 5/8 to 3/4 inch thickness quickly enough to avoid overcooking and dehydrating the interior thereof. In an effort to increase the heat output, it is common practice to mound up the charcoal briquettes. On average, 20 to 30 briquettes may be consumed per fire, which can become quite expensive, particularly when the cost of briquettes is increased by hydrocarbon additives intended to promote ignition. Moreover, charcoal and such additives are subject to inadvertent and spontaneous combustion and produce undesirable fumes.